Mattress recycler opens in Bridgeport

Brian Lockhart

Updated 9:13 pm, Wednesday, June 27, 2012

Rocshay Thomas, of Bridgeport, walks through rows of mattresses waiting to be recycled at Park City Green, a newly opened nonprofit mattress recycler, Wednesday, June 27, 2012 at the facility in Bridgeport, Conn.
Photo: Autumn Driscoll

Bradford Mitchell, of Bridgeport, talks with Bob Kaufman, of Bob's Discount Furniture, during the opening celebration for Park City Green, a nonprofit mattress recycler, Wednesday, June 27, 2012 at the facility in Bridgeport, Conn. Bob's Discount Furniture delivered its first truck of old mattresses Wednesday and promised more to come.
Photo: Autumn Driscoll

Terry McDonald, executive director of the St. Vincent de Paul Society of Lane County Oregon, admires his special award as Armando Goncalves looks on during the opening celebration for Park City Green, a nonprofit mattress recycler, Wednesday, June 27, 2012 at the facility in Bridgeport, Conn.
Photo: Autumn Driscoll

Daniel Esty, Commissioner of the Connecticut Department of Energy and Environmental Protection, gives his remarks during the opening celebration for Park City Green, a nonprofit mattress recycler, Wednesday, June 27, 2012 at the facility in Bridgeport, Conn.
Photo: Autumn Driscoll

Mayor Bill Finch gives his remarks during the opening celebration for Park City Green, a nonprofit mattress recycler, Wednesday, June 27, 2012 at the facility in Bridgeport, Conn.
Photo: Autumn Driscoll

BRIDGEPORT -- Thanks to Park City Green, old mattresses from Connecticut will one day be broken down and used as carpet backing, foam filling in automobiles, in garden mulch and various metal products.

The nonprofit mattress recycler opened at 459 Iranistan Ave. Wednesday with a party attended by Mayor Bill Finch, Catherine Smith, the state's economic development chief, and Daniel Esty, commissioner of environment and energy.

The concept may seem like a no-brainer to some, but mattress recyclers are few and far between. Ask Bob Kaufman, owner of Bob's Discount Furniture, and one of Park City's first clients.

Bob's choices until now have been to ship old mattresses his company hauls away for customers to out-of-state landfills or a recycling outfit in the Midwest.

Recycling proponents argue such programs decrease waste and cut costs for municipalities that accept discarded mattresses at their dumps or pick them up when they are illegally discarded on streets and lots. A 2011 survey by the state Department of Energy and Environmental Protection found that cities and towns collect 88,050 mattresses annually.

The idea for Park City Green originated a few years ago in Oregon, where the nonprofit St. Vincent de Paul Society of Lane County, helmed by Terry McDonald, began mattress recycling to help pay for its human services programs.

"I needed the money. Waste-based business development was one of the first places we could find capital," said McDonald, who was also at Wednesday's event.

McDonald wound up talking to the Connecticut DEEP about a possible Connecticut program, and the idea got a warm reception from Bridgeport and Finch as a green jobs initiative.

Funded with $150,000 from Smith's agency and a $100,000 grant from the city, Park City Green hopes to employ up to 10 people in its first year, and upwards of 25 after three years as more clients sign on.

The mattresses, which now come from Bob's, the city of Bridgeport, Yale University in New Haven and the town of Wethersfield, are filleted and gutted. Their parts -- cotton, foam, wood, metal springs -- are separated and sold directly to manufacturers of non-mattress products or to middlemen.

Park City hopes future clients will include the University of Bridgeport, and towns along the shoreline and in Litchfield County. Park City pledges not to refurbish and/or resell mattresses.

Esty hoped Bridgeport's success will persuade state lawmakers in 2013 to revive and adopt this year's failed mattress recycling bill that would force all mattress makers and sellers to assume responsibility for recycling their used products.

He added the bill would help Park City Green expand and encourage similar outfits to open in the state.

Kaufman declined to comment on the legislation, joking, "I want to sell furniture to both Republicans and Democrats."